Wind-engine



(No Model.)

I J. PH'ILPOTT.

:WIND ENGINE. No. 359,282. Patented Mar. 1 5, 1887.

""fi 1 I l l I .4 I I Mess hzig mmu s. oq wx UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

HENRY J. PHILPOTT, OF DES MOINES, IOlVA.

WIND-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,282, dated March15, 1887.

Application filed July 2,1886. Serial No.206,913. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY J. PHILPoT'r, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Des Moines, in the county of Polk andState of Iowa, haveinvented new and useful Improvements inWVind-Engine's, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of windengines in which a wheelcarrying adjustable vanes revolves horizontally. Heretofore the size andpower of such wheels have been restricted, because the vanes could notbe adjusted so as to balance the wheel and retain it inoperative in astorm. The danger of blow.- ing down and breaking has been in ratio tothe diameter of the wheel and the area of the vanes.

My object is to increase the diameter of a wheel and the size of thevanes, to augment the power of a wind-engine, and to prevent it frombecomingunbalanced, upset, and damaged by storm, and I accomplish theresults conten1- plated as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in myclaims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is a vertical sectional view showing the horizontal wheel supported in asquare arch or frame that is fixed to a solid base. Fi g. 2 is a topview showing the relative positions of four vanes while subjected to theaction of wind.

A A are hubs, and 1 2 3 4 radial arms fixed to the hubs.

B B are rods or posts rigidly fixed to the hubs to connect them and toproduce a skeleton frame and wheel adapted to support vanes in avertiealposition. The upper hub has a journal fitted in a fixed bearing at thetop and center of the fixed arch G. The lower hub has a shaft formed onor fixed thereto and pivoted in a step, D, that is fixed to the base ofthe arch. The. length and diameter of a skeleton frame and horizontalwheel adapted to carry vanes in a vertical position may vary as desired.Vanes H, corresponding in size with the skeleton wheel, are providedwith journals eccentrically located at their ends, and thereby pivotedto the free ends of the radial arms 1 2 3 4. in such a manner that eachvane can rotate upon its own axis during a storm, while the skeletonwheel remains stationary and balanced.

J are rigid bars that have journals eccentrically located on their ends,pivoted to the arms 1 2 3 4 outside of the orbits of the rotating vanes.

K is a shaft that extends through a bore in the upper hub, A.

L is a metal plate or frame attached to the lower end of the shaft K'andflexibly connected with the outer edges of the pivoted bars J by meansof rods m, in such a manner that the joint weight of the shaft and platewill press the outward edges of the barsJoutward and within the orbitsof the vanes, to prevent the vanes from passing the bars, as required tomake the vanes and engine operative.

m are pins fixed to the hub to proj ect through perforations in theplate L, for the purpose of guiding the vertical movements of the plate.

m is a lever pivoted to the arch G, and connected with the shaft K insuch a manner that by means of a rope on the end of the lever a personon the ground can operate the lever, and thereby lift the shaft K andplate L and draw the pivoted bars J inward to allow the vanes H torotate, as required, to make the wheel inoperative.

N is a sail pivoted to the top of the shaft K in an inclined position,in such a manner that it will rotate horizontally to adjust itself tothe direction of a storm, and also rise by the pressure of wind on itsunder surface, to lift the shaft and plate and automatically operate thepivoted bars J as required, to free the vanes, so each one can rotate onits own axis.

A crank, gear-wheel, or belt-wheel may be fixed to the axle of thewheel, to transmit power and motion to operate apump, printing-press,and various kinds of machines in a common way.

A rod, 1', is fixed to each vane H, to extend horizontally across itscenter to support an adjustable weight, 8, that can be moved to and fromthe axis of the vane to counterbalance the centrifugal force of thevane, as required, to regulate the turning of the vane to and from thedirection of the wind.

I am aware that a weight has been connected with a rod that extendedfrom a pivoted vane to a governing device; but connecting aweight with apivoted vane, to be carried by the vane as the vane rotates on its ownaxis, forthe purpose of changing the center of gravity in the vane andkeeping it balanced and its centrifugal force regulated, is novel andgreatly advantageous.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a wind-engine, the combination of ahorizontally-adjustable weight with a stationary support fixed direct toa vane that is piw oted eecentrically, so that it can make completehorizontal revolutions, in the manner set forth, for the purposesstated.

2. The combination of a vane having a stationary fixed support for aweight, a weight that can be moved horizontally on said support, and anadjustable stop device for preventing the vane from making an entirerevolution, for the purposes stated.

3. The combination of the fixed rod 1' and the adjustable weights with avane, H, in the manner set forth, for the purposes stated.

4. A horizontal rotating frame or wheel having radial arms,horizontally-rotating vanes pivoted cccentrieally to the arms of thesaid wheel, stop devices at the sides of the orbits of the vanes, aninclined rotating and vertically-moving sail, and mechanism for movingand retaining the said stop devices across the orbits of the vanes,arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth, for thepurposes stated.

5. The combination of the vanes II, having fixed rods 1-, the adjustableweights s, the adjustable bars J, the shaft K, the plate L, and

the links at, to operate in the manner set forth, for the purposesstated.

6. The rotating sail N, in combination with the shaft K, carrying aplate or frame, L, links m, and stop devices J, or their equivalents,and vanes H, to operate in the manner set forth, for the purposesstated.

7. An improved wind-engine comprising a frame or base, ahorizontally-rotating frame 01' wheel having radial arms at its top andbottom, vanes pivoted eccentrically to said arms to rotateindependently, and provided with bearers upon which to adjust weightslaterally relative to their centers of motion, stops pivoted to theframe to move horizontally to arrest the motions of the vanes, averticallymovable disk or frame linked to said pivoted stops tosimultaneously operate the said stops, and an inclined rotating andvertically-moving sail to actuate the said disk or frame, in the mannerset forth, for the purposes stated.

8. The wheel consistingof two hubs, A, and two series of radial arms,and several posts,B, pivoted vanes H, pivoted stop devices J, the shaftK, carrying the plate or frame L, the rods m, the lever m, and the sailN, arranged and combined with a suitable base and support, to operate inthe manner set forth, for the purposes specified.

HENRY J. PHILPOTT.

\Vitnesses:

It. 11. Onwio, Tnonas G. Onwio.

